Legend of the Organoid III: New Blitz
by Teefa and Co
Summary: Finally got back online. The Blitz Team is reborn, led by Serena Lynn Cloud. Join her and her friends as they fight a new enemy, and a new love triangle. COMPLETE
1. New Generation

New Generation  
  
A trio of Rev Raptors was walking along a field. They knew their prey was out there, but just not where. Because of that reason, they moved as if they were in a pit of hungry lions.  
  
Suddenly, one of them was shot, and the system froze. When his two companions looked at where the attack came from, they saw a Gunsniper on the ledge of a cliff. Its tail gun was aimed right at the last two Raptors.  
  
"Split up," yelled the leader, "I'll distract her while you sneak up from behind."  
  
But that didn't happen. The second Rev Raptor was heading around to the back of the cliff, when a Lightning Saix sped by. It knocked the Zoid over, and shot it with the back mounted canons before it could recover. Another Raptor was out.  
  
The leader of the Rev Raptor group began to run for cover in order to think of a plan. But suddenly, he saw a strange Liger type Zoid in front of him. It looked similar to a Blade Liger, but was a rare white color, with white wings on the back.  
  
The Liger let out a challenging roar. Both Zoids then began to charge each other. Suddenly, the Liger's golden claws began to glow. Then it unleashed a Strike Laser Claw attack, and froze the third Rev Raptor's system.  
  
"The battle is over. The battle is over," called The Judge, "The winner is…The Blitz Team."  
  
At once, the Liger's cockpit opened. Out came a teenage girl. She had short messy magenta hair and violet eyes. On her head was a female Celic style headpiece. Her battle costume consisted of a white sleeveless shirt, baggy lavender shorts, and gray boots and gauntlets.  
  
Her mind began to wander. 'My name is Serena Lynn Cloud. I am the daughter of the warriors Bit and Leena Cloud. My dad's parents are the Zoid breeders Faye and Fredrick Cloud. Mom's dad is Dr. Steve Toros, and her mom is Princess Laro—Lyla in the Zian dialect—Lunar Toros of Planet Celine. I am sixteen-years-old, and have a ten-year-old brother named Daniel—who we call Danny.  
  
She looked at the Zoid she was riding in. 'My partner is the Ultimate X, Cosmos Liger. My grandparents bred him, and gave him to me for my sixteenth birthday. His Organoid is Ryo, the son of my parents' Organoids and my childhood best friend.'  
  
Just then, the Gunsniper approached her. Out came a red-haired girl with blue eyes. Her hair was a circle of spikes at the bottom—which was just below her shoulders—and she wore a green clip at the part in her hair. She wore a sleeveless black shirt, baggy red shorts, red boots, and yellow gauntlets. "Great fight Serena," said the girl.  
  
Serena smiled. 'My best human friend is the Gunsniper pilot Ilene Hunter. She's the fifteen-year-old daughter of Brad and Naomi Hunter. We've been like sisters ever since we were real little kids.'  
  
At that moment, the Lightning Saix joined the two girls. Out came a brown- eyed boy with light brown hair in a mushroom cut. He had on a light blue sleeveless shirt, baggy dark blue shorts, black boots, and silver gauntlets. The boy exclaimed, "Another win for us."  
  
Serena laughed. 'That's Alexander Larson, our third warrior. His mom—Chris Larson—is the sister-in-law of mom's cousin Jack Sisco. So we've known each other since we were kids as well. Get this, he's the same age as me. For about three years now, I've been harboring a secret crush on him. I mean, it's not like we're related by blood or anything."  
  
They ran their Zoids back to a waiting Hovercargo. 'Our team is called The Blitz Team. It was originally the name of Grandpa Toros's fraternity team back in the Zoid academy. It was later reborn as the team mommy and daddy were on. Now, after an eleven year hiatus, it's back as our team.'  
  
The three warriors ran inside the Hovercargo, and parked their Zoids. After entering the control room, they saw three younger kids. The oldest was a boy with dark green eyes and brown hair that framed his face. He had on a sleeveless green shirt, baggy black shorts, and white boots. The younger boy had blue eyes and black hair. He wore a sleeveless white shirt, baggy gray pants, and blue boots. Finally, the young girl had gray eyes and light brown hair. She had on a sleeveless aqua shirt, baggy green shorts, and brown boots.  
  
Serena turned and smiled at the older boy. She gave him a V with her second and third fingers. 'This is my thirteen-year-old cousin Steven Toros. He's the son of my Uncle Leon and Aunt Julianna. The younger boy is eleven-year-old Issac Hemeros. His parents are Jamie and Fara Hemeros, and his grandfather Oscar is Grandpa Toros's best friend. Finally, the girl is Luka Sisco, the daughter of mom's cousin Jack and his wife Kelly. She is also eleven. The three of them are too young to battle for real, but they make up our Central Command. Basically, they watch for unexpected attacks and feed us the strategies. They are also learning to pilot Zoids for when they get older.'  
  
"Good show everyone," commented Steven, "Let's call our parents and tell them the news.  
  
So they got on the videophone, and called Toros Base, where all there parents currently lived. Serena was the first to get on the phone. A ten- year-old blond boy with green eyes who wore his hair down to his shoulders answered. "Hi sis, how goes?" he asked.  
  
Serena answered, "Danny, we just got our tenth strait win. Let me talk to mom and dad."  
  
"Ok," replied Danny. He left the screen, and a minute later Bit and Leena stepped in front of it. Both of them wore gigantic smiles.  
  
"Danny just told us the news," said Leena, "We're proud of you Serena."  
  
"You've become a fine warrior, just like we said you would," put in Bit. No doubt he was thinking about the Rev Raptor incident eleven years ago.  
  
After Serena talked for awhile, the rest of the team took their turns. When they were done, the group went down to the kitchen for dinner.  
  
It was evening before they reached Toros Base. It was where they planned strategy, sent and received battle requests, repaired their Zoids, and spent time with their parents—in Serena, Issac, and Luka's case, their grandparents too. But Serena, who was a child prodigy, could pilot the Hovercargo with no problems, so there was no need for the adults to come unless the trip was overnight. Besides, Ryo was better than any watchdog.  
  
The six said hello to their families. Stories of past battles were swapped, and everyone laughed. Each of them had a favorite battle, whether it was the time when Harry unveiled his useless "Harry Champ Super Omega Cheetahtron Mark III", or the time The Zaber Fangs crashed at the Royal Cup. It was well into the night before they finally went to bed.  
  
Serena lay awake until past midnight. Worried lines were crossing her brow. She couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible was going to happen, something that would bring her and her friends to the brink of disaster.  
  
- - - -  
  
First chapter finally up. I haven't gotten around to writing the whole thing yet, so this may take a long time to finish. Well, this was basically written as an introduction to the characters. I'll describe their regular clothes in the next chapter. Also introduce some minor characters. Oh, and the errors I fixed were mostly made out of frustration because my computer shut down on me when I was typing, in between saves. So I had to type some of the story all over again. 


	2. The New Prince

The New Prince  
  
The next day, Serena got up bright and early. She put on her headpiece, a white dress with black on the ends of the short sleeves, the bottom of the dress, and the color, and a pair of black heeled boots. Then, she went to the hanger to talk with Cosmos.  
  
"Hey buddy, how do you feel today?" she asked. The Zoid let out a roar. Serena laughed. "Well, I'm feeling good. Except I can't shake this feeling that something's going to go wrong."  
  
At that moment, Alexander came downstairs. He had on brown work boots, blue jeans, and a light blue pocket T-shirt. Alexander sat down next to Serena, and said, "Don't you worry, I'm sure it's just something you ate. That's what Grandma Margurita always says."  
  
At that moment, a man in a black tuxedo came into the base. He had light blue eyes, and shiny light brown hair. In his hands, he was holding a bouquet of white roses. When he saw Alexander, he ran up to him mad. "Are you trying to steal my girl, ruffian?" he asked.  
  
"Who are you?" questioned Serena, "I've never seen you before."  
  
The youth pulled a comb through his hair. "You don't remember me! I am Maurice Champ, a man destined to be king. We were in love back when we were young kids. I have revived the Champ Team, and now have opportunities to see you again."  
  
"Oh, I remember now. You're that moron that harassed Serena when she was five. You're dad was then beat up by her mom," replied Alexander.  
  
This angered Maurice. He yelled, "Then I challenge you to a Zoid battle, warrior. Winner takes Serena as his girlfriend."  
  
"NO!" yelled the two warriors.  
  
Ilene came down in her red skirt, black blouse, and black shoes. She heard the part about a rich kid wanting a battle, and asked, "How much do we get if we win?"  
  
"Ten times normal amount," answered Maurice. He well remembered the prices his father had paid to get the chance to impress Serena's mother.  
  
"Deal, we'll have Alexander fight you tomorrow," giggled Ilene. Both Alexander and Serena facefaulted at that.  
  
* * *  
  
"Not again," whined Bit and Leena. They thought they'd been rid of Maurice—and Harry—eleven years ago. Now, not only was the little brat back, but he was acting just like his father did back in the old days. Just as they'd predicted would happen.  
  
But they saddled up the Lightning Saix anyway. Data transmitted from the Commission stated that Maurice used Benjamin and Sebastian just like his father used to. So they also prepared the Gunsniper and Cosmos Liger for combat. "It'll be an easy fight," reminded Ilene, "I mean, his father is Harry Champ for Pete's sake. How tough could he be?"  
  
"Hope you're right," sighed Serena.  
  
* * *  
  
"The area within a twenty mile radius is a designated Zoid battlefield. Only competitors and personnel are allowed, all others must leave the area immediately. Area scanned. The Blitz Team vs. The Champ Team. Battle mode 0982. Ready…Fight," said The Judge.  
  
The Blitz Team looked ahead of them. First, they saw Sebastian's Heldie Gunner across the field. Ilene went to find a spot to snipe it. Next, they spotted Benjamin's Stealth Viper near the mountain. After a little talk, they sent Serena, who was exited about fighting her mother's old sparring partner. Finally, they saw the final Zoid, The Harry Champ Super Omega Cheetahtron Mark III—which we'll just call Cheetahtron for the sake of our sanity, I certainly don't want to keep writing out the result of Harry's conceited behaviors—in the middle of the battlefield. Because of the nature of the battle request, Alexander went to fight against it.  
  
Unlike eleven years ago, the Cheetahtron had removed most of its canons. There were still a few for attack purposes, but not enough to deter its movement. It still wasn't as fast as Harry claimed it was eleven years ago though.  
  
Sebastian wandered the area, looking for a target. He was so intent on his search, that he didn't notice the bullet coming at him until it was too late. After he was hit, Ilene came out of her hiding place. "Bye, bye bot," she commented. Then, she fired and he was out.  
  
Benjamin was meanwhile running for his life. Serena had spotted him easily, and Cosmos had decided to give chase. He tried to hide behind a big rock, but underestimated the abilities of her Zoid. "Cosmos…scan," requested Serena. He scanned the area, and spotted Benjamin behind the boulder. Then, Serena and Cosmos jumped, and knocked him out with Strike Laser Claw.  
  
Finally, it was down to Alexander and Maurice. Both Zoids stared each other down across the battlefield. Suddenly, they began to charge each other, firing their guns as they ran. When they were about two feet apart, they jumped at each other into the air. They knocked into each other, and both Zoids went down. A minute passed. The Lightning Saix rose from where it had fallen. Cheetahtron tried to stand as well, but the leg was injured. So Alexander shot it again to put it out of its misery.  
  
"The battle is over. The battle is over. The winner is…The Blitz Team," exclaimed The Judge.  
  
Both Alexander and Maurice exited their Zoids. The rich brat was wearing a fancy white shirt, black pants, dress shoes, and silver armor over his shirt. "Don't think you'll get away with that," said Maurice, "I'll come back to win my dear Serena from you, so mark my words." Then, he wrote a check with the amount of prize money won by The Blitz Team, picked up his Zoids, and returned home.  
  
Serena, Ryo, and Ilene ran over to Alexander. "Great fight, I knew we'd win," commented Ilene. She looked up at the beautiful sunset, and smiled at all the money she'd won. Not to mention the personal points gained for defeating Sebastian.  
  
Serena looked at Ryo, who let out a low roar. She laughed at how simple the fight had been. 'How does that moron know I have a crush on Alexander? Well, I hope I can eventually admit my feelings for him, and Maurice's suspicions will become truth,' thought Serena. Then, they returned to their Zoids, and rode back to the Hovercargo, and to home.  
  
- - - -  
  
Those of you who read "Legend of the Organoid II" would remember the Cheetahtron. Well, I've finished describing the outfits of Serena, Alexander, Ilene, and Maurice. Gotta get Steven, Issac, and Luka's non- battle outfits described next chapter. Well, this chapter delved into character personalities a little. Serena is often excitable, but often has bad feelings about things and gets upset. Alexander is supposed to be friendly and always there to lend a helping hand. Ilene is just like Brad—hungry for money. And Maurice is as much of an idiot as Harry. Now you know how I'll get Harry-bashing into this fic, I'll use his son instead. Now I've got to introduce some more characters and/or tell their personalities. 


	3. Transform to Cosmos Comet

Transform to Cosmos Comet  
  
"Come back here Danny if you know what's good for you," screamed Serena. Her younger brother had just stolen her prized Cosmos Liger model and was running towards the hanger. He knew that because he was wearing a dark blue T-shirt, brown pants, and sneakers he had an advantage in maneuverability to hie sister's dress. So he stuck his tongue out at her out of spite. Serena fumed at this, and ran even faster.  
  
When they got to the hanger, they saw Toros with a trio of CAS boxes. He was looking at them as if they were some sort of ancient treasures he had just discovered. "Grandpa," called Serena, forgetting about her brother, "What are those for?"  
  
Toros answered, "Why they're the armors for Cosmos Liger. With them, you can transform just like your parents used to. But so far, only one is operational. This system gave me more trouble than the Liger Zero and Moon GS combined."  
  
"Which armor is working?" asked Danny.  
  
"Comet," replied Toros, "The speed unit. It is a red colored armor that uses Strike Laser Claw attacks, Feather Bombs, as well as the speed from the boosters in the middle of its back."  
  
"Boooooring, I wanted the Panzer/Selena equivalent," whined Serena.  
  
* * *  
  
Later on, Serena was in her room. She had gotten her model back from Danny, but was now thinking about her new armors. 'I always wanted to have armors like mom and dad. Maybe I can fight battles even better now,' she thought. Then, she flopped on her bed, and looked up at the ceiling.  
  
Suddenly, a knock came at the door. In came Steven and Issac. Steven had on a gray shirt under a white trench coat, a pair of gray/blue pants, and white shoes. Issac was in his red basketball jersey over a white shirt, a pair of white basketball shorts, and black sneakers. "Hey cuz," called Steven, "Wanna play some B-ball with us?"  
  
"Sure," replied Serena. She ran out of her room, and followed them to the court. Once there, Steven took off his jacket, so not to snag it on anything. But Serena didn't change out of her dress. She was so nimble that she could run and play in most any clothing.  
  
"Wait, we need one more person to play with Serena," noticed Issac. They began to wonder who they could ask.  
  
At that moment, Luka came outside. She was in a turquoise colored blouse, black pants, and had on white sneakers. In her hands was a book, and she had on her reading glasses. Luka settled down at the table, and began to read.  
  
Issac walked up to her and waved his hand in front of her face. He asked, "Hey Luka, wanna play with us? Serena needs one more person for her basketball team."  
  
"Sure," replied Luka, "Just let me finish this chapter."  
  
"Bookie," mumbled Steven.  
  
* * *  
  
That evening, after they went inside, a request came in from the ZBC. It was asking The Blitz Team to duel The Lycanthrope Team. Of course, they said yes. The battle was scheduled for two days later, giving them ample time to prepare.  
  
"The Lycanthrope Team is an all female team that uses three gray Command Wolves," stated Luka. It was her job to act as strategist, along with Issac. "Their strength is in the fact that they have ample maneuverability. Since the battle is near a forest, we can hide Ilene in there to snipe them. Then, Alexander will go head to head and try to get one of them to race, since Command Wolves can't keep up with Lightning Saix. And Serena…"  
  
"I want to use the Comet Armor and do the same thing as Alexander," called Serena. Everyone on the team sweatdropped at her statement.  
  
Luka replied, "Sure Serena. You can use your new armor. Hope it works properly, you know your grandfather hasn't tested it."  
  
"I'll do it tomorrow," commented Serena.  
  
* * *  
  
"The area within a ten mile radius is a designated Zoid battlefield. Only competitors and personnel are allowed, all others must leave the area immediately. Area scanned. The Blitz Team vs. The Lycanthrope Team. Battle Mode 0982. Ready…Fight," said The Judge. At once, Ilene ran for cover while Serena and Alexander created a diversion with their speed.  
  
One Command Wolf decided to go into a sniping position to trap the two speedy Zoids. But the warrior had forgotten about Ilene, and as luck would have it, decided to hide in the forest. Before she even got there, the warrior felt the sting of a shot from the Gunsniper's tail gun. "Why me," she began to complain, "Why is it always me who gets shot down first?"  
  
Meanwhile, Serena and Alexander had each found a dance partner. The two Command Wolves couldn't resist getting them both at once, so they began to follow Cosmos Liger and Lightning Saix. But then, the speedy duo split up, making the Wolves do that as well.  
  
"Can't catch me," teased Alexander. His opponent was firing more shots per minute than Leena could fire in a week at him. But the speed of his Zoid allowed him to evade every one. The Wolf pilot was also running low on ammo as a result. Finally, he had enough. He stopped, and waited for her to get into firing range. When she did, he knocked her down with his back mounted canon.  
  
Meanwhile, Serena had stopped her chase as well. She began to run circles around the Wolf, until it fell to the ground. Serena laughed, "Now, for the finishing touch." Then, Serena utilized Cosmos Liger's wings, and flew high up into the air. "Explosive Feather Bombs," she screamed. At once, the Zoid was knocked out.  
  
"The battle is over. The battle is over," called The Judge, "The winner is…The Blitz Team." Then, he returned to the satellite to await the next battle.  
  
The three warriors began to give each other high fives. Serena threw her hands up after making a V with her second and third fingers. Alexander threw his fist into the air as he jumped, but fell on his bottom. Then, the girls began to laugh. Not wanting to be left out, Alexander began to laugh as well. And they continued to laugh until they were back in the Hovercargo again.  
  
- - - -  
  
The V symbol is supposed to be Serena's special pose. Just like after battle in many of today's RPGs. Oh, and if you're wondering about the name of their opposing team, Lycanthrope has been used in several Video Games to describe werewolves. I don't know if there's some literature or myth that mentions this word, but I'll take the advice from several games from several different developers. Tell me if I should bring them back and expand on their role as kind of a new generation version of "The Fuzzy Pandas Team" (had to write it that way, it's just too hard to resist). Plan to introduce a new character in the next part. 


	4. Marian, the Warrior in Training

Marian, the Warrior in Training  
  
One day, Serena was listening to her radio in the hanger with Ryo. She was daydreaming about her and Alexander going out on a date, as she did everyday. But a pair of Zoids running up to the base soon interrupted her reverie. They were sapphire colored Dibison and Command Wolf that both showed signs of age. They suddenly stopped right in front of the hanger. When she ran up to inspect them, out came a familiar trio.  
  
"Aunt Leanna and Uncle Alan welcome. And you too Marian," called Serena. She jumped up into the air for joy.  
  
Leanna jumped down from the Dibison with her eight-year-old daughter Marian. The child had long magenta hair, violet eyes. She was wearing an orchid shirt with lavender pants and black cowboy boots that were higher in the front and back of her legs than around the middle, as well as her Celic headpiece. Alan came down next in his usual white T-shirt and jeans. "Where's Leena," asked Leanna, "I need to talk to her about something."  
  
Serena replied, "Inside the base." Leanna went inside with Alan, but Marian stayed behind with her older cousin. Being the baby of the family, she was often teased by Steven over trivial things. Since Luka was often found with her nose stuck in a book—and the fact that they weren't as closely related—caused her to go to Serena whenever she needed help. Because of Serena's cheerful nature, Marian looked up to her greatly.  
  
"Serena, how do you become a Zoid pilot?" she asked.  
  
"Practice," replied Serena, "It takes a person a long time to get good. You need to start by training your eye and aim with a gun. After that, you can take a test to see how much speed you can handle. Next, you are tested for airsickness at various different altitudes and speeds. Finally, you are allowed to pilot a Zoid to see how you handle the controls. Then, you should start with a Zoid that compliments your own abilities."  
  
"But you were able to pilot at five without training," whined Marian. The Rev Raptor incident during the Backdraft/Celic conflict was one of the family's favorite discussion topics.  
  
Serena replied, "Yeah, but I had Ryo with me that day. Also, I was only in a Rev Raptor, which is an easy Zoid to handle because of its small size and limited attacks."  
  
"Can you teach me…please?" begged Marian.  
  
"Sure," answered Serena, "It would be my pleasure."  
  
* * *  
  
"Ok, now fire the water pistol at the target," commanded Serena. Marian began to try and hit the bulls-eye of a plastic dartboard with the little gun. Serena had wisely decided not to start with a real gun and real ammo until her aunt and uncle gave their consent.  
  
"How am I doing?" asked Mairan. She had managed to miss the dartboard entirely, and was currently out of water. Serena facefaulted.  
  
Next they moved onto the speed test. Usually pilots used a room like the one that Dr. Layon put Brad in when he captured him, but there was no such facilities on Toros Base. So they went out in Cosmos Liger, and ran around the desert at different speeds. Only, Marian seemed to be afraid every time they went faster than 50 MPH. Serena sighed, and Cosmos growled about being a pack animal.  
  
Their next test was the altitude test. If she was in real training, Marian would have been in a certain machine to test it. But they had to rely on Cosmos's wings instead. Knowing how much Marian hated speed, Serena stuck to just seeing how high she could handle. But the youth seemed to have inherent airsickness—her father chose a ground Zoid for that reason—and tossed her cookies soon after take off. Serena began to get frustrated.  
  
"I'll never get the hang of this," complained Marian. She began to sulk.  
  
"Wait about five years, and then try again," consoled Serena, "Maybe you'll have better luck in handling the speeds and altitudes then."  
  
* * *  
  
Later on that night, Marian sat up thinking. She really wanted to learn to be a pilot, but how could she be if she couldn't even hit a target. But before the child gave into despair, she remembered Serena's words. "Waiting's boring. But…" she said.  
  
Suddenly, Marian remembered her cousin's other words, and thought up a plan. She left her room, and began to head for the hanger. Marian began to look around at all the Zoids, and smiled.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, Serena woke up to the noise of a Zoid right outside her window. When she looked down, she saw her aunt's Dibison running around the front yard. Wondering what was going on, Serena ran downstairs to see for herself.  
  
When she reached the outside, the Dibison stopped. The cockpit opened and out came Marian. She smiled, and said, "Look Serena, I can pilot a Zoid."  
  
"But how…" began Serena, but was cut off.  
  
"Remember how you said to choose the Zoid that's right for you?" Marian asked, "Well, I get airsick and hate speed. So I decided to get a Dibison when I grow up. It is usually used as an assault weapon, so I won't need to go fast. And it doesn't fly either. All I need to work on is my aim with the weapons. That will have to wait, but for now I can at least practice on mommy's Zoid."  
  
Serena smiled. She always knew Marian would figure out her dilemma on her own. The girl was pretty intelligent, albeit she had low self- esteem. After that, she gave her cousin a big hug.  
  
"Marian, we've got to go," called Leanna. She and Alan entered the hanger, and headed for their Zoids. Just then, they noticed Marian riding in the Dibison.  
  
"Serena," warned her aunt, "What did you do now?"  
  
"Nothing auntie, nothing at all," replied Serena.  
  
Marian said, "Bye, bye Serena, I'll see you next time I visit." Then, she went to the Zoid's backseat, and her mother got in. Her father got in his Command Wolf as well. And after waving goodbye, they closed their cockpits and rode off to head back home again.  
  
- - - -  
  
Now we see another side to Serena, an almost maternal side. I was a bit inspired by Rutee Katrea from Tales of Destiny (if you ever played the game, her usual demeanor is sort of like Leena's), who also can be pretty maternal when around younger kids. Gonna write in the new enemy next chapter. 


	5. The New Threat

The New Threat  
  
One morning, The Blitz Team were heading towards their next battle. It was scheduled for a day later, but the area was a long way away. So they had plans to go a day early in order to make it to the battle on time. Because the trip was overnight, Bit and Leena were accompanying them. So was Toros, who was down in the hanger working on the other two armors so Serena could take them into battle.  
  
"Just like old times," commented Bit. Leena looked at him, and saw the sorrow in his eyes. She knew how much he longed to go into battle again.  
  
Serena looked at the landscape as they rode onwards. It always amazed her how the area changed every time she rode through it. Maybe a battle had just taken place, and there were new craters from The Judge or the weapons of Zoids. Or someone had just found a new ruin, and it had been excavated. So it was never boring.  
  
Alexander looked at Serena. 'She's so spacey sometimes,' he thought.  
  
Suddenly, Luka called, "There's a town everybody, let's stop for a bite to eat."  
  
* * *  
  
At the restaurant, the six youngsters sat at a booth in the corner. Bit, Leena, and Danny were in a table only a few feet away. Toros had decided to stay in the Hovercargo, but Leena had promised to bring him back something.  
  
After a few minutes, the waitress took everybody's orders. Suddenly, they saw the Lycanthrope Team heading up to them. Each girl was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a gray shirt, and a leather jacket that had their names on the left breast and a symbol of a gray Command Wolf with the word Lycanthrope on top of it, and the word Team below it, all in capital letters. "I want a word with you six," called their leader, a blue eyed girl with short black hair whose name was Caterina.  
  
"What?" asked Serena, "We're listening."  
  
Caterina inquired, "How would you like a rematch tomorrow?"  
  
"We've got a battle to get to in Zenith City tomorrow. Call us when we get back to our Hovercargo," replied Ilene.  
  
"How dare you talk to the boss that way!" yelled the other two girls, Tanya and Lucia. Tanya had long light brown hair and hazel eyes while Lucia had long black hair, brown eyes, and a slightly darker complexion than her friends..  
  
"Can it," chided Caterina. To The Blitz Team, she said, "I'll do that then. Mark my word, we'll get even with you then." Then, the Lycanthrope Team left.  
  
"That was weird," replied Luka.  
  
At their table, Bit and Leena whispered to each other, "New Fuzzy Pandas Team." Danny, of course, didn't know what they meant.  
  
A few tables away, a mysterious man in a cloak watched the six warriors as they received their meal. His gaze never left them until they left the restaurant.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, they had finally reached Zenith City. They positioned Cosmos, Lightning Saix, and Gunsniper in front of the Hovercargo. Then, they waited.  
  
Their opponents, The Rhino Team—who used a Dark Horn in conjunction with two Red Horns—were waiting across the field. But before The Judge could come down, the satellite was shot out of the air and crashed.  
  
A Whale King floated over the battlefield. From the external speakers, they all heard, "Attention Blitz and Rhino Teams. You will now be facing us, The Diablo Group. We, in following with the teachings of The Backdraft Group, will fight you in a battle with no rules. Should you not agree to our terms, you will automatically forfeit and give us all your Zoids."  
  
"Sure," called Serena, "You can't scare me."  
  
"Anything to shut you guys up," grumbled The Rhino Team leader—who rode in the Dark Horn.  
  
The battle began. Out from the Whale King came a group of six Zoids. One was an Iron Kong. The second was a Rev Raptor. Third was a Zaber Fang. Fourth was a Hellcat. Fifth was a Zabat. And sixth was a Godos.  
  
At once the Dark Horn took on the Iron Kong, while his partners took on the Rev Raptor and Zaber fang. "Alexander," called Serena, "You take the Godos. Ilene, the Hellcat is yours. I'll go after the Zabat since I can fly." So they ran to engage their opponents too.  
  
Alexander ran towards the Godos. He ran past it several times to confuse it. Then, he shot it with his back-mounted cannon. One Zoid was out.  
  
Meanwhile, Ilene had run to find a good sniping spot. The Hellcat, noticing no other Zoid in the area, turned off its stealth. It was a critical mistake. The second it did that, Ilene spotted it and shot it with her tail gun.  
  
The Rhino Team were all knocked out by their opponents. But the three Zoids' victories were short lived, as Serena sped by, chasing the Zabat. She threw her Feather Bombs down on them, knocking them out of combat. Then, she turned her attention totally towards her original opponent. "Let's go Comet," yelled Serena.  
  
The Zabat pilot tried desperately to fly around her to get her in his line of fire. But Serena was super fast. She flew right past him, using the Sonic Boom to knock him to the ground. Then, she landed as well, and started to charge towards him. "Strike Laser Claw," called Serena. At once, her opponent was knocked out.  
  
Suddenly, a gray-haired man's face appeared on their screens. "Good show," he said, "We will fight again Blitz Team. But next time we will win. Remember, I—Roderick McNeill—vow this to you." Then, he picked up his wrecked Zoids, and flew away.  
  
"Another Backdraft," sighed Leena, "Well…I guess the kids have their work cut out for them."  
  
"I will be ready for when we next meet. You won't find our team to be push-overs," said Serena. She looked up towards the sky, and smiled.  
  
- - - -  
  
Well I got the villain's name from two places. Roderick was the name of one of the snobby prep-school boys from Tiny Toons. And McNeill was the name of the wicked mayor from Breath of Fire III. I have decided to use The Lycanthrope Team as a new "Fuzzy Pandas Team". Their names are pretty much "normal" versions of certain RPG names. Lucia is Lufia from Lufia and the Fortress of Doom. Tanya is Teefa from Arcana. And Caterina is basically a reworking of the last name Katrea from Tales of Destiny. 


	6. Trasnform to Cosmos Meteor

Transform to Cosmos Meteor  
  
When Serena and her friends returned to Toros Base, it was late at night. So they went strait to bed. All that is, except Dr. Toros. He was insisting on getting the second CAS armor battle worthy ASAP. Toros's work continued far into the night, and the next day, Leena found him lying against the CAS boxes, sound asleep. She then began to giggle.  
  
"Better get him to bed," she said. So she called Bit, and together, they carried Toros back to his room so he could get some sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Later, Toros woke up and returned to the hanger. When Brad found him there, shining the brown CAS box, he asked, "Hey Brad, can you bring Serena here?"  
  
"Sure Doc," answered Brad.  
  
Soon, Serena joined her grandfather in the hanger. She looked at him, and inquired, "Which of the armors do you have ready now?"  
  
"Meteor," replied Toros, "The Schneider/Luna equivalent. But I'm having one itsy bitsy problem with it. I need you and Cosmos to help me out."  
  
So Serena saddled up her Zoid. Then, she added on the new armor. It looked like the Schneider, except it was brown, had brown wings, the blades were gray, and there were secreted wing blades in addition to the three around the head, two on the helm, and two on the sides. Immediately, she launched Cosmos Liger.  
  
But when she got out, Cosmos went wild. He didn't try to knock her out of the cockpit, but he did knock off his armor. "What's your problem?" yelled Serena.  
  
Cosmos roared back at her. "Oh," realized Serena, "You think the armor restricts you too much. Heck, it's nothing, wait until you try the Panzer/Selena equivalent. Once gramps gets it working."  
  
Cosmos began to throw a fit. "Ok, ok, we'll get you back into your regular armor."  
  
* * *  
  
When she returned to the base, a call came in. The face of Lycanthrope leader Caterina filled the screen. She said, "All right Blitz Team, let's arrange our rematch."  
  
"Sure," replied Serena, "Name the time and place."  
  
"How about tomorrow at high noon. It'll be like an old western showdown. The plains near your base should do nicely," stated Caterina.  
  
"Deal," called Serena, "See you then wolf girl."  
  
Tanya and Lucia then came on screen screaming, "Hey, show a little respect for the boss here. You need to learn some manners."  
  
"Whatever," sighed Serena.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, The Blitz Team launched its Zoids. As luck would have it, Toros had spent so much time working on Meteor, that he didn't have any left to spare to fix up Comet. So Serena was in the plain Cosmos armor. She stood in the middle of the team's formation, with Alexander on her left, and Ilene on her right.  
  
"Let's use the same strategy as before," said Issac over the comlink, "Ilene, snipe out Lucia from the woods. Alexander, you go after Tanya. And Serena…do whatever you have to in order to get rid of Caterina. Until we fix up Comet, you're really in a tight position."  
  
At that moment, The Judge came down to start the battle. Once it began, the trio started to implicate their plan. Ilene ran for the mountain in order to use it as a sniping spot. Alexander ran strait at Tanya in order to engage her. And Serena charged at Caterina.  
  
Ilene climbed the mountain using her Gunsniper's boosters. She then waited for Lucia, who was often reckless, to come into range. The second Lucia saw her hiding spot, she began to climb up after Ilene in order to avoid being sniped. But Ilene was one of the fastest shooters around. She switched over to tail gun mode, and fired. Lucia was out of the battle.  
  
Meanwhile, Alexander was having little difficulty fighting Tanya. Her Zoid had apparently been modified for high-speed combat, and it was trying its best to keep up with him. But she was still wasting ammo on a grand scale, so he knew it was only a matter of time.  
  
When Tanya ran out of ammo, she began to run back to the Gustav for a reload. Alexander took that opportunity to strike. "C'mon Lightning, show me what you've got," he yelled. Then, he ran right past her, shot his cannons, and knocked Tanya's Command Wolf out of the battle.  
  
While this was going on, Serena was faring somewhat worse. Caterina had found a sniping spot, and was shooting at her. It was so bad that Serena couldn't take to the air. Her only hope was to go strait through the hail of bullets.  
  
"Grandpa," she called, "Get Meteor ready for me now." To Cosmos, she said, "I know you don't really like the new armor, but we've got no other choice. I don't want to see you hurt in combat because you're so darn stubborn."  
  
Finally, Cosmos consented. They ran back to the Hovercargo, and into the CAS dock. Immediately, the system began switching armors. After it finished, out came the new Cosmos Meteor armor, ready for combat.  
  
Serena ran right through the hail of bullets towards Caterina's sniping spot. Once she got close enough, she extended the blades. "Buster Slash," screamed Serena. At once, the Command Wolf fell, and the system froze.  
  
"The battle is over. The battle is over. The winner is…The Blitz Team," called The Judge.  
  
Serena exited Cosmos. "How do you like the new system now?" she asked. Her response came in the form of a happy roar.  
  
"Thought so," replied Serena.  
  
- - - -  
  
Here's the second transformation. Had to have Toros working too much, didn't I? Well, I'll bring in the third transformation in a few chapters. I've got a little surprise planned for the next one. Oh, and I forgot to describe the Comet armor. It looks just like Jager, but in red. Really nothing much I can say 'bout it. 


	7. Princess Amanda Emerges

Princess Amanda Emerges  
  
It was a quiet day at Blitz Team headquarters, until…  
  
"For the hundred millionth time, I wouldn't date you if you were the last man alive," yelled Serena. She was in the hanger, trying to chase Maurice Champ out of it. He had come over in his Cheetahtron, and began to beg her for a date. But Serena, like her mother before her, didn't like chauvinistic pigs bothering them all the time.  
  
"C'mon Serena," begged Maurice, "Just once. You might even enjoy my company."  
  
At that moment, Danny entered the hanger. He saw his sister fighting with Maurice, and decided to intervene on her behalf. To Maurice, he said, "Leave my sister alone. She doesn't want to go out with you, just give it up. Or is your brain to small to grasp that." He then grabbed the little snot, and dragged him outside. Then, Danny kicked him hard in the stomach, and punched him in the nose.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ouch, he hits hard for a little kid," complained Maurice. He began to think that he needed not only Alexander, but also Danny out of the picture in order to win Serena's heart. Alexander he could try to best in a Zoid battle, especially after his excess training, but Danny would prove a challenge. He wasn't even old enough to pilot a Zoid.  
  
"I wonder," pondered Maurice, when he suddenly got an idea. "That's it, I'll just keep him busy with a problem of his own."  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, a pink Pteras landed in front of the base. Out of the backseat came a young girl about nine years old. She had Maurice's blue eyes, as well as his light brown hair. But that's where the similarities ended. Her hair was medium length—reaching right past her shoulders—and curly. She sported a pink dress with white ruffles on her color and sleeves. The shoes she wore were black, and her stockings were white.  
  
"Wait here," she told the pilot. Then, the young girl entered the hanger.  
  
Inside, she found Danny playing with some models his dad had brought him. 'So this is Daniel Cloud…impressive,' she thought, 'He might just make a good boyfriend.'  
  
At that moment, Daniel looked up from his model Blade Liger. He saw her, and asked, "Who are you, and why are you here?"  
  
The girl answered, "My name's Amanda Champ. My brother Maurice told me about you, but he never said you were this cute. Wanna go on a date with me?"  
  
"No way, I don't date your type," replied Danny. He returned to the battle his Blade Liger was having with a Godulous.  
  
Amanda was clearly mad at that statement. She yelled, "We'll see about that. You'll be mine, whether you like it or not." Then she returned to her Pteras, and sped off.  
  
* * *  
  
Everyone knew immediately that Maurice had manufactured the scene. But they were also eager to see it confirmed. It didn't take long too, the next day Maurice called the base in order to challenge The Blitz Team.  
  
"My conditions are simple," he stated, "If you win, I'll pay thirty times the normal prize money. If I win, well all I ask for is a date with Serena, and my sister gets a date with Danny."  
  
Ilene's eyes suddenly bugged out. Dollar signs appeared at the thought of all that money. "You've got yourself a deal Maurice. We'll just have to cream you again," she said.  
  
Maurice replied, "Then I'll see you at thirteen hundred hours tomorrow. Don't be late." Then, the screen went blank, and he was gone.  
  
* * *  
  
Danny was quite upset at learning Ilene was using him and Serena as betting chips. But Serena had assured him everything would be all right. After all, they'd creamed The Champ Team the last time the two had fought. But he still worried.  
  
The next day was a clear and sunny day. There was no wind either. Just the right conditions for a Zoid battle. Serena—who was using the Meteor armor—was positioned in the middle with Ilene and Alexander on either side. She began to reiterate Issac and Luka's strategy to them. "Ilene, take out Sebastian in the Heldie Gunner. Alexander, your target is Benjamin's Stealth Viper. Maurice and Cheetahtron are mine."  
  
Their opponents were waiting in front of them, ready to fight. The second The Judge began the battle, both sides went on the offensive. Bullets were fired from every which way, and their biggest worry was getting hit with friendly fire.  
  
At once, Ilene found a nice niche in the mountain to hide in. After switching over to sniper mode, she waited there patiently for her target to show. Soon, Sebastian happened to wander by. "Lights out for you," yelled Ilene, as she fired her tail gun. The Heldie Gunner collapsed.  
  
Meanwhile, Alexander was toying with the Stealth Viper. His Lightning Saix's extreme speed helped him avoid any shots fired at him, but he didn't strike back. Instead, he waited until Benjamin ran out of ammo. Then, he ran by, knocking the Zoid against the mountain, knocking it out of battle. Unfortunately, Ilene happened to be thrown back by the Stealth Viper's hit. She too was knocked out.  
  
"Nice job show off," grumbled Ilene. Alexander just scratched his head.  
  
At that moment, Maurice ran by. Taking advantage of his moment of weakness, Maurice shot Alexander in the back. The Lightning Saix suffered a System Freeze, leaving only one Zoid on each side. And so the showdown began.  
  
But it wasn't much of a fight if you ask me. Serena flew up into the air and released her Feather Bombs on Cheetahtron. Then, she came down to the ground, to take on her weakened adversary. While charging, she yelled, "Buster Slash." In an instant, Cheetahtron was out of the match.  
  
"The battle is over. The battle is over," called The Judge, "The winner is…The Blitz Team."  
  
At Champ Team HQ, Amanda began to mentally curse her brother. 'He messed up big time. Now, how else can I win Danny's heart.'  
  
Maurice left his battered Zoid and came to where his opponents stood. "Now about that thirty times the usual prize money," commented Ilene. At that, the rich little snot fainted.  
  
- - - -  
  
Heh, Harry has another little brat kid. To quote one of my fav. RPGs, "Like father, like daughter. My blood runs in your veins." Does anyone besides me know where that's from? If you guess right, I'll give you a shout out in the next chapter. 


	8. A Warrior Named Valencia

A Warrior Named Valencia  
  
"I swear Maurice," yelled Serena, "If I have to tell you one more time to get out of here, I'll throw you off Mt. Icelina. Do I need to tell you the story of how bad Uncle Brad's Command Wolf was after he fell of that very mountain with it?"  
  
Maurice begged, "But Serena honey…"  
  
But Serena wasn't buying it. She grabbed him by the ear, pulled him outside, threw him across the deck, and went back inside, locking the door behind her. "I wish you'd just disappear," she called as she returned to the hanger.  
  
"What is her problem? Why wouldn't she want a rich guy like me?" pondered Maurice. But he returned to his Cheetahtron, and ran back to his base.  
  
But nearby, someone was watching him from the shadows. "Hmmm…could I use this fool as bait, just as the Backdraft's Dr. Layon used his father?" he asked himself. Then, he got in his car, and sped off in the same direction as Maurice.  
  
* * *  
  
Later that evening, Maurice was sitting in his study. Around him were dozens of framed pictures of Serena. Using computer technology, he had succeeded in melding several with pictures of himself, in order to make it look like they were together on a date. As Maurice held one of the pictures, he sighed.  
  
Suddenly, one of his walls collapsed. After that, a Rev Raptor entered the room. Out of the Zoid came a young woman with black hair and eyes. Her skin was pale, and she had on a black halter-top, short black skirt, and black boots. As accessories went, she had a black bracelet on each arm, black lipstick, a black nose ring, and a black belly button ring. "Good evening," she said, "My name is Valencia. I would like to ask you if you'd come with me for a little while?"  
  
"No way, the only girl in my life is Serena," replied Maurice.  
  
Valencia smiled. "That's just who we're going to see." Then, she kicked him in the stomach, and knocked him out. She loaded him into her Rev Raptor, and left the base.  
  
* * *  
  
"This just in. Maurice Champ, heir to the Champ Foundation, has mysteriously disappeared. A search of his Zoid base revealed that his study looked broken into by a small Zoid, about the size of a Rev Raptor. If you have any information leading to the capture of the kidnapper—and/or Maurice's safe return—call 1-800-555-CHMP. His father is offering a $5,000 reward for any useful tips," read the newscaster of her notes.  
  
This revelation was quite shocking to everyone on The Blitz Team. But no one was in the least bit worried. After all, he was most likely kidnapped for ransom money. And knowing Harry, he wouldn't be the least bit apprehensive about paying it. The boy was his pride and joy, his spitting image.  
  
But a week later, worry set in. No ransom demands had been made to Harry. He had called the base at least once a day to ask if anyone had seen his son. And each time, Bit calmly told him that Maurice hadn't stopped by.  
  
Serena was the most worried. She heard the words in her mind over and over again. 'I wish you'd just disappear.' Even though she'd said it, she didn't mean to wish bad luck on him. The notion that it was her fault crept into her head.  
  
So she jumped at the chance to help when Amanda arranged a search party. Alexander and Ilene decided to join as well. The trio went out in their Zoids, while Amanda's attendant flew her around in the pink Pteras. They were all going to comb the desert, and report back to Toros base in five hours.  
  
Serena took Cosmos to the air, and asked her Zoid to give a call if he ever saw anything. Several times, she had Ryo leave the Zoid and perform recon in a canyon that she wasn't able to fit in. Each search turned up nothing.  
  
Finally, she flew over a small forest. In a clearing, Serena could see someone tied up to a tree, and gagged. On closer inspection, she learned the person was Maurice! So she flew down towards the clearing in Cosmos.  
  
Once on the ground, Serena left Cosmos and began to untie Maurice. But suddenly, a cage came down on the duo. "Cosmos, run for the forest," called Serena. But just as he found a hiding spot under the trees, a cage came down on Cosmos.  
  
"Serena," said Maurice with stars in his eyes, "You do care about me."  
  
Serena replied, "Sorry moron. I'm only here because I feel sorry for your family having to suffer. My mom was nearly abducted once, and grandpa always tells me how worried he was during those days. Besides, I did wish you'd disappear, so this is technically my fault."  
  
"You bet it is," said a cold female voice. Out from the trees came Valencia. "Your words inspired my little trap. Now, you and your Zoid belong to me."  
  
"What do you want with me anyway?" asked Serena.  
  
"Simple," answered Valencia, "You're the only one who can pilot this Ultimate X. Once we transfer you to our base, we'll erase your memory, and make you believe that you work for us." She let out a wicked laugh.  
  
At that moment, a Whale King touched down. Suddenly, a flatbed appeared under Cosmos's cage. A Gustav came out of the Whale King, and was attached to it. Then, Cosmos was pulled aboard. They did the same thing with Serena and Maurice.  
  
Once inside, a pair of guards removed Serena from the cage. Another two grabbed Maurice. They were taken to the main room, before Roderick McNeill.  
  
"Well, well, look what we have here," he stated. His cold eyes were fixated on Serena. Then, he told his guards, "We don't need the boy for anything. Leave him stranded in the forest." The guards took Maurice away, and threw him out of the Whale King.  
  
Then, Roderick told the other guards, "Take the girl to a cell where she'll stay until we arrive at the base." At once, they dragged her to one of their holding cells.  
  
Serena began to cry. She was worried about her family. How would they cope with her being kidnapped? "I've got to get out of here," vowed Serena.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ooh, a cliffhanger. Don't worry, I'll have the next part up soon. Gonna make sure of that. Oh, and Valencia's Rev Raptor is black, forgot to say it before. I plan on having a little romance in the next chapter as well. The quote in the last chapter was from a game called Tales of Destiny. TOD SPOILER ALERT Right before you fought Hugo in Belcrant, he says this to Rutee in order to get her to join him in his scheme END SPOILER. Hmm…no one got it. Guess I'm the only ToD freak out there LOL. 


	9. Escape From Diablo HQ

Escape From Diablo HQ  
  
"Can you see anything?" asked Ilene of Alexander. When Serena had failed to arrive at their meeting point on time, the duo had started to worry. So they headed out in the direction she'd taken, only to find barren desert. At the moment, Alexander was running ahead in order to save time. He was calling Ilene back with any plans in case of a split in the road.  
  
"Well, kind of," responded Alexander, "There's a forest about five miles ahead of you, come here on the double. You've got to see this."  
  
Ilene ran as fast as her Gunsniper's legs could carry her. Soon she arrived at the spot Alexander mentioned. On the ground, they found an unconscious Maurice Champ.  
  
Both pilots exited their Zoids in order to tend to him. The youth showed signs of abuse, starvation, and fever. Ilene grabbed a bucket full of water, and splashed him with it.  
  
Maurice woke up with a start. "Don't worry Serena, I'll save you," he called.  
  
"Calm down, you're having a nightmare," responded Alexander, "Now tell me what happened to you since you were taken from your study."  
  
Maurice began, "Some woman named Valencia kidnapped me, and took me here. She tied me to a tree, fed me a minimal amount of food, and hit me if I misbehaved."  
  
"Then why were you lying on the ground?" asked Ilene.  
  
"Serena came to rescue me," replied Maurice, "But then a cage fell down on the two of us. Cosmos was caged as well, and Valencia took us aboard a Whale King. Her boss said that I was of no use, and tossed me off the ship. The impact knocked me out. You must hurry, the two of them plan to erase her memory in order to have her and Cosmos work for them."  
  
Alexander's balled his hands into fists. He told Ilene, "Call Amanda and tell her we've found her brother. I'm going to find Serena."  
  
* * *  
  
"We're here," called a guard as he opened Serena's cell, "Get out." As expected, the young warrior resisted. So he grabbed her by her arm, and pulled her along with him.  
  
They left the Whale King, and entered a base. He dragged her down the halls, and stopped in front of a door. "The boss asked me to take you here right away." The guard opened the door, and took Serena inside.  
  
The room was full of a host of different machines. Most of them Serena had never seen in her life. Suddenly, the guard stopped, and strapped her to a table. He said, "Wait just a minute, the boss'll be here to start the procedure soon." Then, he left.  
  
That gave Serena little time to escape. She began to pull desperately at her straps to no avail. Suddenly, she got an idea. 'Ryo,' she mentally called, 'I need you now.'  
  
A few moments later, Ryo entered. He immediately noticed what she needed done, and began chewing at the straps. Soon, Serena was free.  
  
"Thanks buddy. Now we've got to get back to Cosmos," stated Serena. So Ryo's chest opened, and Serena went inside. Then, he flew off back to the Zoid. Ryo ended up back at the Zoid Core, and Serena was in the cockpit.  
  
"Let's go," she yelled. Then, Serena turned on the power, inserted her Zoid data, and began to run off. She shot off a few of her Feather Bombs, opening a hole for her escape.  
  
* * *  
  
"How did she escape?!" screamed Roderick. He had just entered the lab, ready to perform Serena's treatment. Immediately, he got on his radio, and announced, "Attention all Diablo soldiers. The prisoner has escaped. Find her immediately."  
  
At once, every soldier on the base ran for his or her Zoid. Valencia heard the announcement from her room, and scrambled immediately. She instantly ran towards the hanger, and started up her black Rev Raptor. "This catch will be mine," she claimed.  
  
Serena stopped short the second she saw her enemy. She immediately flew up into the air, in order to gain the advantage. At once, the Zabat unit began to close in. But none of them expected she could be that powerful. Using her speed, she ran right through the unit, blowing them all up. 'And to think I'm only using Cosmos's base armor,' mused Serena.  
  
Next in came the Hell Cats. All of them turned on their stealth, and became invisible. Instantly, Serena activated her heat sensors. 'Bingo,' she thought, 'Bye bye little kitty.' Then, she began toasting them all with Feather Bombs.  
  
Finally, the only person left was Valencia. She ran right towards Serena in her Rev Raptor. Over the comlink, she said, "Come down and face me little tiger girl."  
  
Serena couldn't resist. She flew down to the ground, and folded up her wings. The two women faced off against each other like it was an old western showdown.  
  
At once, Serena charged. Not wanting to be outdone, Valencia charged as well. She immediately extended her blades, not knowing Serena's plan.  
  
About three feet from her target, Cosmos's paws began to glow. Serena jumped him in the air, yelling, "Strike, Laser, Claw." The attack hit its target, taking the Rev Raptor out of the picture.  
  
Serena bounded off, away from the base. A few miles out, she ran into a Lightning Saix. Immediately, Serena knew who it was, and jumped out of Cosmos.  
  
Alexander jumped out too. He ran towards her, and took her up in his arms. "I love you Serena," admitted Alexander, "Please don't leave me like that again."  
  
A smile crossed Serena's lips. "I love you too Alexander," she replied.  
  
- - - -  
  
Awwwwwww…how kawaii. I just had to add romance to the ending of the chapter. Don't worry, the story's not over yet. The scene where Serena gets inside Ryo was inspired by several scenes involving Zeke and either Van or Fiona in Chaotic Century. It looks just like that too, in case you were looking for a visualization of this. 


	10. Maurice Tries Again

Maurice Tries Again  
  
After the incident with the Diablo Group, Serena and Alexander really hit it off. They went practically everywhere together. One day, Alexander took Serena to the movies. The two young lovers saw a romantic epic based on the RPG Tales of Destiny. It was about a young orphan girl named Rutee who traveled the world, looking for love. Along the way, she realized her true love was a guy named Stahn she had met about a year ago, when she helped save the world. The beautiful ending saw the two warriors reunited at his front door, while a romantic song played in the background.  
  
While leaving the theater, they saw Maurice coming out of a nearby flower shop. When he saw Serena, he ran right up to her, gave her a bouquet of white roses he'd brought, and asked, "Would you do me the honor of going with me to the movies? There's a sweet romance playing at this time, called 'The Love I Didn't See'."  
  
"Just left from there," replied Serena, "Alexander took me to see it. Perfect date movie if you ask me. You should see it some time."  
  
At this Maurice fumed. "How could you take him out and not me? If that's the way you want it, then I challenge Alexander to another duel. If I could beat him then I'm sure it'll prove how much I love you Serena," he yelled.  
  
Serena whispered to Maurice, "Just accept. It'll shut him up, and I really don't give a care if he can beat you in combat. That won't change how I feel about you."  
  
"You've got a deal then," answered Maurice, "Hows about tomorrow at 1500 hours, just you and me. I won't bring any help, and neither will you."  
  
* * *  
  
"Are you crazy?! Why are you fighting Maurice Champ again?" screamed Luka. She was usually the quiet one, but once her cousin gets himself in a fix she'd been known to blow her stack. And this was something she wasn't too fond of. Especially since her second cousin on the other side of the family was involved as well.  
  
"C'mon Luka," complained Alexander, "Serena and I just wanted to show him up again. Just like Bit used to do with Harry."  
  
Luka replied, "But it's not polite. I mean, putting Serena up like she was some kind of prize. That's no way to treat a lady."  
  
"She asked me to do it 'cause she has faith in my piloting ability. Leena didn't mind when Bit used to fight Harry," he whined.  
  
Luka sighed. "Well, what's done is done. I guess we'll just have to get the Lightning Saix ready for tomorrow's battle."  
  
* * *  
  
Unlike Luka, the rest of The Blitz Team saw the humor in the fight. It was only Maurice, how much trouble could he be? The Saix was given a complete re-load for its back mounted cannon, and the boosters were fixed up. All that remained was to wait.  
  
The next day, Alexander launched the Lightning Saix, and waited the arrival of Maurice. It wasn't all that much later that he arrived on the battlefield in Cheetahtron. "We'll finally settle this bout here and now. And I'll be the one to take Serena's love," boasted Maurice.  
  
"Whatever," replied Alexander, "Let's just concentrate on the battle and not on our own petty little egos."  
  
Maurice yelled, "Was that compliment directed at me Alexander Larson?"  
  
"Duh," stated Alexander.  
  
Suddenly The Judge crashed down on the battlefield. He immediately began the battle. At once, Maurice lunged at Alexander, who effortlessly avoided the attack. On the Hovercargo's bridge, Serena began to giggle at how pathetic Maurice's performance had begun.  
  
Alexander just sighed. The rich little snot was as bad a rival as Harry had been for Bit. He was clouded by his ego, and his futile attempt to impress a certain girl. During a battle, such distractions could be the dividing line between victory and defeat. So he continued to toy with Maurice, if only to emphasize how pathetic he was.  
  
Everyone knew at once what he was doing. They all remembered twenty- one years ago when Bit had pulled a similar stunt on Harry to embarrass him. Leena took that opportunity to go get a bag of microwave popcorn. When she came back, the embarrassing stunt was still being performed, and Maurice hadn't yet gotten the picture.  
  
Finally, five minutes after Leena returned, Alexander got tired of the game of cat and mouse he'd been playing. He ran strait at Maurice, and shot his back mounted cannon. Instantly, Cheetahtron was knocked out of the battle.  
  
"The battle is over. The battle is over," called The Judge, "The winner is…The Blitz Team." Then, he returned to his satellite.  
  
Maurice was grumbling after exiting Cheetahtron. Suddenly, Alexander and Serena approached him. "Go ahead, laugh at me. Tell me how pathetic I am. But realize this, I do really love you Serena," he said.  
  
Serena replied, "I understand. We're not going to laugh. If you love me, then you'll realize that my heart belongs to Alexander. We can be friends though. I don't want any more repeats of grandpa and Layon or my dad and yours. Just please, get your sister to leave my kid brother alone."  
  
"I accept," beamed Maurice, "And I'll tell my sister so as well." Then, he loaded Cheetahtron into the Whale King, and flew away for home.  
  
- - - -  
  
Just had to break the endless cycle of revenge. I guess Maurice does have some of his mom's genes in him alongside his father's Moron Gene. The movie I was describing was, as I said before, based on Tales of Destiny—a PSX RPG I adore. The first thing I really noticed about Zoids was how Bit and Leena reminded me of Stahn and Rutee somewhat (they're my fav. ToD couple, and like Bit and Leena, the game never explicitly states that they're a couple, but you could figure it out using hints). So I had to throw them into my Zoids fic somewhere. 


	11. Transform to Cosmos Nova

Transform to Cosmos Nova  
  
At Diablo Group headquarters, Roderick was still musing on how Serena had escaped his base while she was tied down. 'It had to have something to do with her Zoid…Cosmos Liger. We've got to find some way to sedate that Zoid in order to get her on our side,' he thought.  
  
As if on cue, Valencia entered. She said, "Master, I'll be willing to give my life for our cause. Just name the mission you need me to go on."  
  
"Defeat Cosmos Liger," replied Roderick, "I also want Serena taken prisoner along with her Zoid. There's no other way to get it to cooperate with us."  
  
* * *  
  
"Grandpa, have you really finished it?" asked Serena excitedly.  
  
Toros nodded his head. "The final transformation of Cosmos Liger…the Nova armor. As you already know, it's the equivalent of Panzer/Selena. Capable of shooting off such attacks as Hybrid Cannon and Burning Big Bang, it is the ultimate machine of destruction."  
  
Serena inquired, "When do I get to try it out?"  
  
"Tomorrow," replied Toros, "I was just informed that The Maverick Team has challenged you all to a battle. Better go inside for Issac and Luka's strategy meeting."  
  
* * *  
  
A few minutes later, every member of The Blitz Team had met in the meeting room to discuss the strategies for the battle. Serena sat right next to Alexander, and held his hand. 'I'm glad they've finally straitened things out. I knew I had a good eye for couples. Let's see…I'll bet that Ilene and Steven will be next. After that, Luka and Issac. Jury's still out on Danny and Marian though, they're still too young, and I haven't really seen them with friends of the opposite sex much,' mused Toros.  
  
"Now, the team we're up against is quite unpredictable," stated Luka, "They use a trio of Zaber Fangs, with various modifications. One never can tell which kind they will use, it usually matters their opponents. We'll probably have to fight this by the seat of our pants."  
  
Serena whispered to Alexander, "Then why did we have this meeting?" Alexander laughed at that. Luka just put her notes back in her folder, and didn't even notice her cousins laughing at her meeting idea.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, The Blitz Team met The Maverick Team on the battlefield. Their Zaber fangs were not equipped with the variety of weapons Luka had told them about last night. Apparently, they had decided to use their speed, as they knew their opponents had a Lightning Saix and a speedy Ultimate X. Also, it could help run from Ilene's shots.  
  
But before The Judge could announce the battle, he was knocked out of commission. Then, in cam the Diablo Group's Whale King. "Attention Blitz and Maverick Teams," called a voice from the Whale King, "This battle has been taken over by the Diablo Group. If you don't comply, you automatically forfeit and all your Zoids belong to us." At once, they launched Valencia's Rev Raptor and a ton of sleeper Zabats.  
  
Almost instantaneously, the sleepers had disabled The Maverick Team. But before they could take on The Blitz Team, the Rev Raptor ran ahead. "Serena Lynn Cloud," called Valencia, "I challenge you to a one on one fight. Ground only, you can't take to the air."  
  
"Deal," screamed Serena. She extended the blades on Meteor, and charged. Valencia did the same with her Rev Raptor. "Seven…Blade…Attack," yelled Serena. At once, Valencia was knocked out of the fight. But the sleepers took her place and began to fire.  
  
Serena knew what had to be done. Their only hope lay in being able to fire Nova's Burning Big Bang at them, as that attack was capable of taking out a small army. But, as with Panzer and Selena, there was the side effect of the cockpit overheating.  
  
There was no time at that moment to contemplate any alternative to the situation. Serena began running back to the Hovercargo. On the comlink, she called, "Luka, get the CAS system ready. I'm mobilizing Nova."  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Luka, "I mean, that is the riskiest armor to use. If you don't be careful, you can overheat the cockpit. Don't you know what that means? You could be fried alive in there, and/or damage Cosmos beyond repair."  
  
Serena began to count to ten. "I know the risks. My parents lived with the risk every day. All I need is to put a big dent in the Zabat attack. Then, I'll just jettison the armor, and come back for a new type. That's how they kept from dying."  
  
Finally, Luka consented. Cosmos loaded himself into the CAS port, and waited for Luka to set up the armor. After they finished, he emerged from the Hovercargo in the Nova armor. It looked exactly like Panzer, except it was yellow. It was time for the real fight to begin.  
  
Serena began to lumber across the battlefield. She could see Ilene and Alexander still going strong, and a few crashed Zabats. At once, she began to charge up her Burning Big Bang. It struck the Zabat group, knocking most of them down. So she went at it again, finishing what her first hit had begun. It was just in time, as her cockpit began to overheat, and she was forced to jettison Nova. Cosmos let out a roar of relief.  
  
Roderick's face appeared on the comlink. "Good fight Serena. Just you wait, we'll eventually win, and you'll become our slave." Then, he cut off the transmition, and flew away in the Whale King.  
  
"I'll never give up," replied Serena, "This fight has only just begun Diablo Group. And that goes double for your leader." She opened up her cockpit, and stood there with her left hand on her hip. Then, a big smile crossed Serena's lips.  
  
- - - -  
  
Before you all begin to complain about incestual insights, the conversation about Danny and Marian wasn't about them loving each other. What Toros meant was he didn't know anyone that Danny or Marian liked. Ok, rant over. Now all the armors have been revealed. Just really need to finish off the Diablo group in an episode or two. Then, onto my surprise AU. 


	12. Unity

Unity  
  
After the last attack, Leena began to worry about her daughter. Serena had moved into a trance-like state brought on by the attempts to enslave her. She was often sensing future attacks that always seemed to come true. Most of those were battle interruptions that ended up in a net loss in their profit.  
  
Both Ilene and Alexander were about as upset as Leena. Serena was their best friend and fellow teammate. But part of Ilene was also whining about the profit, just like her father would have. Alexander was spending much of his time in Serena's company, in order to put his lover at peace with herself.  
  
The thought that she had ESP had occurred to Leena. But she also knew that the child was 25% Celic, and her alien blood might have accounted for part of that. So one day, she decided to ask her mother about any powers the child might have.  
  
"Well…" said Lyla, "There is a rare power among Celics that allows slight glimpses of the future. Your description of Serena's symptoms match it exactly. So that would be the logical assumptions."  
  
Leena thanked her mother, and talked to Serena about it right away. Like her grandmother, Serena saw no reason to exclude that power among her senses. So she began spending time with Lyla to develop it to a level where she could manually call upon it.  
  
But the members of The Blitz Team weren't the only ones upset by the Diablo Group. The Lycanthrope Team was also being hounded by them, if only for the fact that they challenged The Blitz Team at least once a week. So one day, they called their rivals for a different kind of battle.  
  
"Our team is with you in your endeavors. We'll be ready to help you with any plans to defeat the Diablo Group," stated Caterina over the comlink. Tanya and Lucia, who were standing behind her, gave a crisp salute.  
  
Serena replied, "Our biggest problem is getting finances to plan an ambush. But I think I can get something together. Hows about we call you back tomorrow."  
  
"Deal," quipped the trio at once. Then, they cut transmission.  
  
"But Serena," whined Luka," Where do you plan on getting the funds?"  
  
Serena answered, "You'll see. I'll be back later."  
  
* * *  
  
"So anyway…we need your help securing the money for our little mission. Can I expect your full cooperation in this matter Maurice?" asked Serena.  
  
"Sure," replied Maurice, "After all, besides the money I win from battles, I get $10,000 a week in allowance from my dad. I can slop a few Gs together for you. Just please be careful. Even if you've chosen Alexander over me…I still care."  
  
Serena smiled. "Thank you for your assistance."  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, Serena called Caterina back. After talking and planning for about an hour, they decided to set up a battle for Saturday. Hopefully, their prey would decide to show up. Just incase, Toros loaded the Hovercargo's ammo registers to full. If it came to it, they'd tie the Whale King down with ammo, and have Serena use one of her best attacks to defeat it.  
  
Saturday came all too fast. Everyone suited up, and prepared for the fight of the century. First they launched Ilene's Gunsniper. Then, out came Alexander in the Lightning Saix. Finally, after transforming to Cosmos Comet, Serena was launched.  
  
As if on cue, The Judge was knocked out, and the Diablo Whale King appeared. Instantly, they launched tons of air and land sleepers. Serena called over the comlink, "Keep the boys busy while I change my armors."  
  
She ran back towards the Hovercargo, and prepared to bring out the Nova armor. Her idea was to get rid of as many sleepers as she could before attacking the ship. That way, she'd have fewer enemies to contend with while she flew upwards. Serena called, "Keep 'em busy until I get back."  
  
After transforming, Serena was launched back onto the battlefield. At once, she began charging up her massive guns. "Burning Big Bang…" she called. Instantly, many of the Zabat sleepers were destroyed. Serena then fired her Hybrid Cannon at the Rev Raptors on the ground. Several shots later, she jettisoned Nova, and ran back to switch to Meteor.  
  
While Serena was away, Alexander and Ilene lined up behind Caterina in a V-formation. Behind them, still in the V, came Tanya and Lucia. The trio charged their enemies, guns blazing. Many of the Rev Raptors fell instantly, and they began shooting up at the Zabats.  
  
Serena waited patiently as her armor was applied. She began to worry for her friends, but pushed those thoughts aside. They'd do just fine. Finally, her CAS was finished, and Cosmos was re-launched into the fray.  
  
Once back out, a familiar black Rev Raptor ran up to her. "Not you again," complained Serena, "I thought you'd given up challenging me."  
  
Valencia laughed. "No, oh great Serena. You see…your father ruined my life so long ago. I'm just here for revenge."  
  
"What did he ever do to you?" questioned Serena.  
  
"Long ago," began Valencia, "I was just a simple girl. My mother was a tech in the Backdraft group, and my father a pilot. But one day, your father shot mine down in combat. He was instantly handed over to the ZBC. And then, in that attack on headquarters, my mother was arrested as well. I was only eight when they were taken from me. So I plan to follow their ideals, and defeat the daughter of the one who caused me so much grief."  
  
At once she charged. Although Serena felt sorry for her plight, she also knew her life could be at stake. So she flew up high, and knocked Valencia out with Feather Bombs. But although the Zoid's wound wasn't fatal, the young woman pushed the self-destruct button, cutting short her life.  
  
But there was no time to grieve. The Whale King was speeding away at that very moment. Serena again took to the air, and flew right at it. "Seven Blade Attack," she yelled. Cosmos ran right through the Whale King, and it crashed down on the plains.  
  
- - - -  
  
That's the last of the major action. Epilogue coming soon. Well, it's time to reveal what's behind curtain #3 (my secret AU B/L fic). It is about overcoming the fear of love after an abusive relationship. Featuring a truly evil Harry (instead of the Moron King Harry). Coming soon from Teefa85 productions…Beyond Her Pain. 


	13. Looking to the Future

Looking to the Future  
  
'And that's how our great adventure ended,' thought Serena, 'McNeill and his henchmen were all taken into custody. My friends and I returned to being able to battle like a normal team again. Well, for about ten more years. Then, we all decided to throw in the towel, and retire. But our kids will one day take our place, and The Blitz Team will rise again.'  
  
At the youthful age of twenty-six, Serena still hadn't lost her impeccable beauty. She was still the magenta-hared violet-eyed stunner that had—unintentionally—broken many a heart. As her mother always used to say, "Beauty is a curse."  
  
"Thinking about the past again?" asked Alexander. He had just come home from his job as a Battle Official. His job was to process battle requests, and send them to whoever was participating in the fight. It was as close as he'd get to a battle, so he'd accepted it.  
  
Serena beamed as she looked at him. "Well, I just put Lisa down for a nap. She can be such a handful sometimes. But what can I say, she is my daughter. Oh, and I talked to Ilene while we were at work today. She and Steven are having their anniversary party on Sunday, and have asked us to come."  
  
"Pays to work with your sister-in-law," stated Alexander, "And in the nursery for the children of ZBC workers no doubt. You two surely do love kids, eh? So, when's her baby due? Does she know if she's having a girl or a boy yet?"  
  
Serena replied, "No, Steven and Ilene want to wait until it actually happens to find out. And the baby could be coming at any time now."  
  
Alexander opened up a magazine. "Hmmm…looks like a few new types of Zoid are being mass produced. Wonder what those geniuses at the factory have come up with this time." He suddenly burst out laughing. "Come look at this Serena, you're never gonna believe this."  
  
"What?" asked Serena. She came over to see what her husband was making such a big fuss over. When she saw it too, she also began to laugh.  
  
It was a picture of Harry Champ—who was still occasionally bugging her father and mother about the past. Next to him was a strange Zoid. It looked like a horse with wings and a horn that opened like a Dark Horn to the average person. But if you knew about his past, it'd be funny. For the white horse had magenta colored hair on its mane and tail. It also contained a horn with a dark purple top and bottom, and a light purple middle. The eyes, which were the viewing windows, were also purple, and there was a red gem on the back of the mane. Its name was Pegasus Cupid. And if that wasn't a testimony to his lingering love for Leena, nothing was.  
  
"Even Maurice was smarter than him," groaned Serena. She then began to call up her mom to ask if she'd seen Harry's latest creation.  
  
Of course Leena had seen it in Bit's magazine. It just so happened that she ran into Harry in town the next day. Let's just say he came home with some unpleasant lumps on his head, a broken arm, and bruises everywhere. He'd never learn, he was destined to be a moron for the rest of his life. Which wouldn't be very long if Leena had her say in it.  
  
* * *  
  
At Steven and Ilene's anniversary party, something unexpected happened. Ilene was conversing with Serena about the project they'd have for the older children the next day, when she went into labor. Instantly, Serena alerted her cousin, and they herded Ilene into the car.  
  
Once at the hospital, Ilene was taken to the maternity ward. Serena whispered into Steven's ear, "Wear a set of catcher's gear, you remember the story about when I was born."  
  
It was only a joke, but Steven took it seriously. He somehow found some gear in the hospital—probably left over from another anxious father going through his wife's pregnancy. Both Serena and Alexander rolled their eyes. Danny, Marian, Luka and Issac soon followed suit.  
  
In only about five minutes, the baby was born. It was a healthy baby boy, who Steven and Ilene decided to call Timothy. For the next few days, friends and family began to pour in to see the new parents. Finally, Ilene was able to come home, and everyone was happy.  
  
* * *  
  
At a party to celebrate Timothy's birth, Issac motioned Luka to come over to him. He got down on his knees, opened a small box and asked, "Luka…will you marry me?"  
  
"Yes, I will Issac," she replied.  
  
By now, these things didn't surprise anyone. Every member of The Blitz Team was used to drama. Heck, Bit used his love to help Leena recover from a trance. Then, he proposed to her in the middle of preparing for the final battle with the Celic ship. Alexander and Serena confessed their love after a dangerous rescue mission, and he'd actually proposed while dodging bullets from a gun on the back of Lycanthrope Team member Tanya's Command Wolf. And Steven proposed to Ilene while they were bungee jumping off of a Hammerhead—I still don't know the meaning of that one.  
  
Their wedding had to wait for about half a year. When it finally took place, everyone from the old team came to see them. Toros—still going strong at seventy-years-old—brought them each a model Pteras (oh like anybody didn't see that one coming). At that one, at least half the guests at the reception facefaulted right out of their seats—some of them landing on top of each other. But they all enjoyed the joke nevertheless.  
  
Serena was glad to see all of her friends had found happiness. Even Maurice had done so, by marrying a young girl he'd met at one of his father's business parties. He had a son, that he called Harry after his father. Let's just hope that the genes from his mother's side—as well as his wife's family—come through, instead of Harry's Moron Gene.  
  
'One day, Lisa will grow up to be a fine warrior,' she mused, 'My psychic gifts may be small, but there are some things I can see. Her gifts are great.'  
  
As it would turn out, Lisa did go on to be a great warrior who resurrected The Blitz Team again. The same thing happened with her daughter, and her daughter after that. Many thousands of years later, a young woman descended of Bit and Leena was still coming forward every generation to take charge. The latent Celic blood in each of these young girls had ensured a great gift, to be the greatest Zoid pilot of that generation.  
  
- - - -  
  
How was the ending? I'd like to thank the following people. First, whoever made Zoids, since it's their characters I'm using. Next, my friend Dan, who got me into Zoids in the first place. Finally, the makers of all the animes and games I borrowed ideas from for the little quirks in the story. See 'ya all next fanfic. 


End file.
